My journey into the world of natural resources has been anything but straightforward. I graduated college in May of 2021 with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, & Business Administration with a minor in Management. From there, I spent a year figuring out what I wanted to do with my life. From VA home loans to marketing analytics for mega-corporations, I found that I could not live my life working in the business world and made a change that would set the course for the career and life I wanted. I left a well-paying marketing job to return to school to start taking classes in natural resources at the University of Missouri-Columbia. During my year there, I worked in a dendrochronology lab, became the president of the Mizzou SAFE (Student Association for Fire Ecology), started doing private land management on the side, and fully emersed myself in the world of conservation and natural resources.
While I currently work as a Horticulturist for the University of Missouri, I continue to do land management on the side, volunteer with our local trail crew, run a woodworking business and assist with as many prescribed burns as I can during the year. Besides what I do for work, I also love everything about Missouri! One of my favorite things to do is showcase what our wonderful state offers in the world of natural resources and recreation. My ultimate career goal is to work with private landowners and develop short-term and long-term management plans in Missouri. Working with private landowners is key to helping preserve and restore private land into the overall landscape while also helping the landowner enjoy the land for private use. Together, let’s embark on a journey to explore how the land we care for can take care of us in the future.